With the impact of six heavy water beads, several acupoints that had been closed since birth were opened. As streams of pure spiritual energy washed away the turbid qi accumulated over decades, a large amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy poured in uncontrollably.
In an instant, Ji Yuan's face turned red. The acupoints transmitted a sensation of pain and swelling, as if they were about to burst from the influx of spiritual energy.
He immediately circulated the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture with all his might. The thick spiritual power surged through his meridians like a river, immediately drawing some of the spiritual energy pouring into the six acupoints into his meridians.
The spiritual energy from the outside world converged, so dense that it formed a faint mist, enveloping his body and continuously flowing into the six glowing acupoints.
The Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture was circulated to its extreme. The abundant water vapor from the Divine Water Pills he usually consumed also erupted from the depths of his body, part of it nourishing his physique and part of it integrating into his spiritual power.
Coupled with the continuously pouring spiritual energy into his acupoints, Ji Yuan's spiritual power continued to grow, reaching the verge of a breakthrough.
Fortunately, he suppressed himself with the Profound Sky Spirit Devouring Pagoda, activating its spirit-devouring ability to inhale and exhale his spiritual power, constantly compressing and refining it. He managed to avoid directly breaking through to the middle stage of the Spirit Point realm.
For cultivators, the faster the breakthrough in the Enlightenment realm, the better, as long as the soul light is nourished. This allows the acupoints to be opened before too much turbid qi accumulates.
However, after reaching the Spirit Point realm, the pursuit of rapid breakthroughs ceased. On one hand, it required patient effort to open each acupoint one by one. On the other hand, it was also for accumulating more insights.
Yet, Ji Yuan had forcefully broken through six acupoints in one go tonight, ones that should have taken a long time to grind open little by little!
It's worth noting that in each minor realm of the Spirit Point realm, it is considered extremely good for a cultivator to open only one to three acupoints.
As dawn arrived and the morning sun began to rise, Zhao Yuebai, having finished his night of cultivation, was startled by the sight that greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes.
Ji Yuan was enveloped in a mist condensed from dense spiritual energy. Six points on his body were flashing, and the sound of rivers surging continuously emanated from within him.
After half an hour, Zhao Yuebai sensed that the unusual phenomenon around his master had quieted down considerably.
Suddenly, Ji Yuan opened his eyes. The sound of rivers surging within him gradually subsided, and the six flashing points on his body dimmed. A profound aura then rose.
As his spiritual power vibrated, the spiritual mist enveloping him dispersed, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Master, have you broken through again?" Zhao Yuebai asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded slightly. After opening six acupoints in one go, his spiritual power became even more robust, constantly absorbing heaven and earth spiritual energy, significantly accelerating his cultivation speed.
More importantly, with the enhancement of these six acupoints in combat, his battle prowess would be even more formidable.
Now, without resorting to magical treasures or talismans, his Dao techniques alone were sufficient to contend with two to three cultivators of the same realm, regardless of whether they possessed magical artifacts.
Furthermore, the secret technique recorded in the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture had been cultivated, and the six heavy water beads had been successfully incorporated into his acupoints, where they were constantly nurtured by spiritual energy and spiritual power.
Half an incense stick's time later, having familiarized himself with his changes, Ji Yuan took Zhao Yuebai away from Profound Sky Peak. However, this time they did not go to the Nine Peaks for lectures but instead proceeded to Heavenly Cauldron Peak.
This was the only place in the Nine Xuan Sect that passed down the inheritance of the four Dao arts. There were only over thirty inheritors, but each of them was a weapon master, capable of independently refining magical artifacts.
At the foot of Heavenly Cauldron Peak, Ji Yuan and Zhao Yuebai arrived at a courtyard. After paying three hundred taels of silver, they rented a refining room.
"Cultivation is truly expensive!" Zhao Yuebai couldn't help but grumble.
In the secular world, three hundred taels of silver were enough to support an ordinary family's expenses for decades. Now, it was merely for five days' use of a refining room.
Ji Yuan had long grown accustomed to this. Not to mention the cost of the pills his senior brother Guo Tao consumed daily, which alone would be thirty to forty taels of silver.
Let alone the Divine Water Pills he consumed, the medicinal ingredients for which alone cost hundreds of taels of silver. The incense of faith and the vast essence of water vapor, as the main raw materials, were even harder to quantify in monetary terms.
Before long, after entering the refining room, Ji Yuan set up a formation of flags and activated the existing formation of the place. Only then did he feel slightly at ease.
Then, as he sat down cross-legged, a solemn expression reappeared on his face.
The reason he had not taken Zhao Yuebai to listen to the lectures of the three realm elders today was to refine a life-bound flying sword for him.
He had been missing a few materials, but by sheer luck, he had encountered them in the Nine Xuan Sect's Treasure Pavilion. After paying a small price, he had successfully acquired them.
Regarding the matter of a life-bound flying sword, it was best done sooner rather than later for any sword cultivator. The earlier it was refined, the sooner it could be nurtured and sacrificed within the body, and the greater its compatibility with oneself would grow through mutual cultivation.
However, this was Ji Yuan's first time refining a magical artifact. Although he had repeatedly studied the steps and rehearsed them in his mind more than ten times, he still felt a little uncertain.
"Let's begin!" He gazed at the square cauldron before him and muttered to himself.
As he formed the hand seals, the unique ground fire of Heavenly Cauldron Peak erupted, immediately heating the cauldron to redness. As soon as various spiritual materials were placed on it, they were refined into molten liquid metal.
This refining process took a total of four and a half days.
During this time, he failed many times and replenished numerous spiritual materials. It was only through ample preparation that he managed to succeed.
When the two of them left the refining room, Zhao Yuebai already had a crude embryo of a life-bound flying sword within his body. It only needed to be continuously nurtured with his vital energy and spiritual power during future cultivation, supplemented by various spiritual materials to be completely formed.
Upon their return to Profound Sky Peak, they discovered that a courtyard had been built on the summit. Five or six small houses were enclosed by a fence, and a round wooden table and a few crude chairs had been set up in the yard.
Zhang Zhiya was seated there, brewing tea and reading a book, appearing quite leisurely.
Not far away, Liao Qiming and the other four were still hauling away the cleared debris to the foot of the mountain.
Just as Ji Yuan was about to return to his room to recover some of the spiritual power and energy he had lost from refining for days, he suddenly turned his head with a premonition and saw a streak of light flying towards them in the sky.
As the streak of light landed, Elder Hong Tian's figure appeared before their eyes.
The residents of Profound Sky Peak were already accustomed to this old man. Since he became close friends with Zhang Zhiya, he had been visiting every few days, brewing tea and playing chess with the old Daoist priest.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and, not in a hurry to return to his room, moved a sawn-off tree stump to serve as a chair and sat beside his master and Elder Hong Tian, watching them play chess.
Normally, Zhang Zhiya usually won these chess matches. Elder Hong Tian had to exert all his skill to win a single game.
"Just one more move to regret, let me regret this move one last time!" Elder Hong Tian's eyes widened, and he said with a fawning smile.
Ji Yuan clearly saw him stroking his graying beard, which he seemed to have accidentally pulled out while thinking.
"Master, Elder Hong Tian is going to lose again." Zhao Yuebai squatted nearby, holding a candied hawthorn he had bought from the county town. His bright, spirited eyes darted around as he quietly whispered.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan made a shushing gesture and then added, "A true gentleman does not comment on chess."
He nodded as if he understood, then saw a hand reaching out before him and, as accustomed, took out a new candied hawthorn from his mountain and river bag.
Thus, master and disciple sat watching the chess game, holding their candied hawthorns and occasionally sipping hot tea to alleviate the sweetness in their mouths.
As expected, in less than a quarter of an hour, Elder Hong Tian had no choice but to concede defeat.
"Why are you two not cultivating and just idly watching here?" He glanced at the two beside him and then said irritably. Clearly, he was blaming them for his loss.
"Senior, have some tea, have some tea!" Ji Yuan chuckled and poured him a cup of hot tea.
"Heh, the tea poured by the future peak master, just the aroma is extraordinary." Perhaps still annoyed about losing the chess game, Elder Hong Tian's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Ji Yuan, however, paid no mind. He knew the old man meant no harm, having come to understand his personality somewhat after spending time with him.
After drinking a few cups of hot tea, he pondered for a moment and then asked, "Elder Hong, may I ask what I need to pay attention to if I wish to leave the Nine Xuan Sect?"
Ji Yuan had been at the Nine Xuan Sect for over a month and was thinking of visiting the market town several dozen li away to contact the branch store of Mingxin Xuan there.
However, his current status was neither a disciple of the Nine Xuan Sect nor a guest elder. He wondered if there would be any restrictions on his entry and exit, and any taboos to observe.
Upon hearing this, Elder Hong Tian thought for a moment and casually replied, "There's nothing much to pay attention to. Just hold your identity jade token. Apart from a few forbidden areas, you can go anywhere inside or outside the Nine Xuan Sect."
The token Ji Yuan held was considered compensation from the Nine Xuan Sect, granting him access comparable to that of an elder of an inherited peak.
"But are you sure you want to leave the Nine Xuan Sect anytime soon?" Elder Hong Tian suddenly said meaningfully.
This remark made Ji Yuan pause, and his brow furrowed instinctively. He understood the implication of the other's words. He had only intended to go out of the mountain gate, a distance of a few dozen li. Could someone dare to commit murder outside the Nine Xuan Sect?
"The matter of you bringing back the missing destiny for our sect is something even ordinary disciples within the sect have heard of, let alone some forces from the outside." Elder Hong Tian mused, "Right now, countless people are watching the Nine Xuan Sect. It's truly unwise to go out at this time."
Although he didn't say it too bluntly, the meaning was clear. Once he left the mountain gate, he would inevitably fall into the sights of certain forces. Most of these forces did not wish for the Nine Xuan Sect to successfully advance to become a major sect. To achieve this goal, they would naturally resort to any means necessary.
Ji Yuan seemed unrelated to this matter, but as the person who brought back its missing destiny, if he were to be killed outside the Nine Xuan Sect's mountain gate, they could make a big fuss about it and weaken its destiny through various means. Even if they were to abduct him and make him join another sect, they might be able to take away some of the Nine Xuan Sect's destiny.
The methods of cultivators in this world are so numerous that if one truly intended to act, it would be impossible to guard against. Moreover, Elder Hong Tian explicitly stated that the Nine Xuan Sect was currently in the spotlight. Even outside its own mountain gate, its control was much weaker than before. Too many forces had come after hearing the news, including many rogue cultivators from the mountains and marshes, all hoping to take advantage of the situation and see if they could gain anything.